“Damn, Lutheron, you scared the hell out of me,” Shade said with a relieved sigh. “I thought a bloody Blight had wandered in for some chit chat.” He shook his head at the Fionaveir who wore an expression of quiet delight.
“I am rather good at frightening. That is why you want me here, after all,” Lutheron said with a grim smile. “So, tell me, Shade, what exactly am I supposed to do for this plan of yours to work?”
“Stand outside the city and make everything too scared to leave the walls. Charm said you can do that. You can, right?” Shade raised an eyebrow and studied the man. Eldagar was a very large city. To lay an aura of fear over the entire wall was no minor act of magic. If Lutheron actually could, then the man was far more formidable than anyone actually said.
“Just the walls? Or shall I start with the country side surrounding the city and work my way in so I drive whatever hunters might be about, back toward their refuge?” Lutheron asked casually.
“You can do that?” Shade said, his tone betraying the amazement he felt.
Lutheron smirked and nodded faintly. “It shouldn’t be a problem. I’m curious how you intend to keep from pissing yourself while I’m doing it however.”
“Take a leak right before we go up and remind myself over and over that I will have to clean up any mess I make,” Shade replied, drawing an amused chuckle from the older man. “Really, it’s Charm I’m worried about. He keeps raving about me being insane and seems the nervous sort.”
“There are those that run, those that fight, and those that go mad from fear. Charm is a runner. Tie him into the ship if you wish to keep him there. He is a rogue and not nearly as flamboyant as you in his methods. He doesn’t care much for this kind of excitement,” Lutheron said and glanced back toward the campsite. “What do you intend to do with Remedy though?” he asked, his voice softer and holding a note of what might have been pity.
“Truthfully, I hadn’t planned on him at all. I’m rather hoping he can stay with you during this. He has had a rough time of it and I don’t want to add more to his burden,” Shade answered.
Lutheron nodded his agreement and motioned back toward the ship. “Let’s be done with this then. There are difficulties elsewhere in the world that I must see to by morning.”
Shade nodded and walked back toward the campfire where Charm and Remedy waited. Charm looked up quickly at his approach and stood at the first glimpse of Lutheron. He bowed low in respect and stood quickly, causing his long blond braid to fall over his shoulder. “Commander Lutheron, I’m pleased you could make it on such short notice,” he began, but Lutheron raised a hand to cut him off.
“We’ve worked together before, Charm. You know better than to use the Commander shit on me,” he said gruffly and looked down to Remedy. Frowning, he dropped down to a knee bringing himself eye to eye with the man. “Remmy, Symphony told me to bring you home. She says she misses you too much to let you continue gallivanting about.”
“I can’t face her, Lutheron,” Remedy said faintly, refusing to meet Lutheron’s gaze.
“Why?” Lutheron asked simply. There was no accusation at all in Lutheron’s sharp features, nor in his voice. If anything, the man seemed genuinely puzzled by the response.
“I’ve betrayed her. The Barrier on Sanctuary went up just days after my capture. They must have found out from me that we intended to call the vote soon,” Remedy replied, his voice trembling. “How can I face her after what I’ve done? There is no hope of a vote now. It will be bloody war and it’s my fault.” He raised his hands to cover his face and shook his head. The agonized tone in the man’s voice made Shade flinch. He could remember the feeling of disappointing his father and what Remedy felt must be ten times worse.
Lutheron reached up and pulled his hands back down forcing Remedy to look at him. “They must have found out from you?” he repeated with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t know they found out from you? You don’t remember telling them anything? Is that what you are saying?” He fired the questions off so rapidly that Remedy simply gaped at him for a moment.
“How else would they find out, Lutheron?” Remedy asked, sounding anguished.
“That’s a damn good question that I will find the answer for. I’ll believe a dancing monkey dropped down from the sky and sang it to them before I’ll believe you told them, though,” Lutheron shot back. He pulled the man to his feet and roughly clapped him on the back. “I’ve known you since you were a child, Remmy. You are as loyal and true as Caspian himself. I will never believe you betrayed the Fionaveir and I’ll have the head of anyone that suggests it. Are we clear?”
Remedy stared at him for a long moment before nodding slightly. “I don’t remember speaking to them about anything, Lutheron. They tried everything, but I didn’t utter a sound, and yet the Barrier is up. Why else would they raise the Barrier unless they knew we meant to call a vote? What if they had a Mind mage work on me and I don’t remember it?” Doubt crept back into his voice as he spoke the last.
“They didn’t. It would require one of the Han’shy themselves to work on your mind and none of the Han’shy would. You did not sell our secrets, Remmy. You are innocent. Quit blaming yourself and come with me. We apparently have a city to help destroy tonight.” Lutheron patted him on the back once more and then turned to look at Shade. “We will be positioned on the Northern side of the city. Let me know when you are in the air and I will begin,” he said and disappeared with Remedy before Shade had a chance to respond.
Glancing at Charm with a smile Shade tossed him the bag containing the goblin stones. “I, for one, have never trusted singing sky monkeys. Especially not when they are dancing,” he said as he headed toward the ship.